Tags

Istanbul, Turkey – As the Chinese government expressed concerns of the sudden rise of the Islamic State group (IS/ISIS) in the Middle East, nearly 300 Chinese nationals were reportedly fighting in the ranks of the radical group, Chinese local media reported on Monday.

The Chinese government announced Monday that it is concerned with the impact of the sudden rise of the extremist group in the Middle East in the restive region of Xinjiang, in western country China.

“We do not intend to join the U.S.-led international coalition to eliminate the IS group,” the Chinese government’s statement read.

The People’s Newspaper, mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party, reported that Chinese members of the Islamic Movement of Eastern Turkestan are traveling to Syria through Turkey to join the group of the Islamic State.

“Several sources, including security officers in Iraqi Kurdistan, Syria and Lebanon, reported that about 300 Chinese citizens have joined the ranks of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria,” the newspaper reported.

The Chinese envoy to the Middle East, Wu Seiki, pointed out last July that there are about 100 Chinese, mostly members of the Islamic Movement of Eastern Turkestan, either fighting in the Middle East or militarily trained to fight.

Noteworthy, the Chinese government criticized the Turkish government for providing a haven for refugees from the Uighurs who fled China through Southeast Asia, saying that “such channels create security threats”.